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Climate Data

SST data: COBE: Centennial in situ Observation-Based Estimates

The COBE data set is a spatially complete, interpolated 1°x1° SST product for 1891 to present. It combines SSTs from ICOADS release 2.0, the Japanese Kobe collection, and reports from ships and buoys. Data are gridded using optimal interpolation. As in HadISST, data up to 1941 were bias-adjusted using the "bucket correction." Prior to the interpolation analyses, data were also subject to quality control using a-priori thresholds, and nearby observations were combined. COBE data have been used in the JRA Reanalyses and for AMIP experiments.

Key Strengths:

Kobe collection improves data coverage compared to earlier releases of ICOADS that were used in other gridded reconstructions (ICOADS 2.5 includes Kobe)

Key Limitations:

Compared to modern benchmarks (e.g. HadSST3), the bias adjustments and uncertainty estimates are somewhat primitive

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SST data: COBE: Centennial in situ Observation-Based Estimates

The COBE data set is a spatially complete, interpolated 1°x1° SST product for 1891 to present. It combines SSTs from ICOADS release 2.0, the Japanese Kobe collection, and reports from ships and buoys. Data are gridded using optimal interpolation. As in HadISST, data up to 1941 were bias-adjusted using the "bucket correction." Prior to the interpolation analyses, data were also subject to quality control using a-priori thresholds, and nearby observations were combined. COBE data have been used in the JRA Reanalyses and for AMIP experiments.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.